Weather-tight enclosure



Feb. 11, 1958 L. D. soLLE-NBERGER 2,822,682

WEATHER-TIGHT ENcLosuRE Filed Dec. 8, 1954 3 Sheets-Sheet l 1N VEN TOR.

` Feb. 11, 1958 L. D. SOLLENBERGER 2,822,582

WEATHER-TIGHT ENCLOSURE Filed Dec. 8, 1954 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 f INVENTOR.Y 3g Zezr oenqye;

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Feb- 1l, 1958 L. D. soLLENBERGl-:R 2,822,682

WEATHER-TIGHT ENoLosURE Q5 Y lesr. 5056225 Qi, 12m/M, 72,51@

IN V EN TOR.

wsATrmn-TIGHT nNcLosUnEv Lester D. Sollenberger, Chicago,lll., assignorto Miller Meters, Inc., a corporation of Illinois Application December8, 1954, Serial No. 473,998

2 Claims. (Cl.70-158) This invention relates to a weather-tight housingand more particularly to a weather-tightenclosure adapted to contain amechanism such as a parking meter.

It is the general object of the invention to produce a new and improvedenclosure of the type described.

It is a more specific object of theinvention'to produce a weather-tightenclosure for a` parking meter mechanism which is so constructed andarranged as to provide a readily openable weather-tight enclosure forthe mechanism which is capable of being locked in closed position and inwhich the moving parts effecting' such locking Iand opening are allcompletely enclosed.

It is a further object of the invention to produce an enclosure orhousing for a parking meter which is proof against tampering andvandalism.

It is another object of the invention to provide a parking meter housingadapted to contain a parking meter mechanism wherein the mechanism ismoved into its correct position in the housing and held in such positionby the housing Without the use of screws or other anchoring devices.

It is yet another object of the invention to provide anenclosure for aparking meter including a housing having a recess terminating in astepped upper edge `'and a cap having a lower edge complementary inshape to the edge of the housing and hingedlyconnected to the housing bya hinge member positioned within the recess and vertically movabletherein so that the cap may be swung to open position to expose therecess and then in closed position may have its edge in weather-tightcontact with the edge of the housing and providing no exposed hinges orhinge pins.

Other and further objects and features of the invention will be readilyapparent from the following description and drawings in which- Fig. l isa front elevational view of a parking meter housing embodying theinvention;

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of the apparatus of Fig. l showing thecap in open and closed positions;

Fig. 3 is a top plan view showing the housing of Figs. 1 and 2 and theposition of the parking meter mechanism therein;

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig.V 3-but showing the parking metermechanism removed;

Fig. 5 is a vertical sectional view along line 5-5 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a sectional view along line 6-6 of Fig..5; and

Fig..7 is a View like Fig. 6 but showing the capin closed position andengaged by the locking mechanism.

While this invention is susceptible of embodiments in many diterentforms, there is shown in the drawings and will herein bedescribed indetail one specific embodiment, with the understanding that the presentdisclosure is to be considered as an exemplication of the principles ofthe invention and is not intended to limit the invention to theembodiment illustrated. The scope Patent 2,822,682 Patented- Feb. `11.,1958 lCC of'the inventionv will bepointedfout'in-the appended claims.

Referring nowy to the drawings-there isshowna lparking meter 10 havingahousing*` divided intoanr upper portion 11 and a lowerfportion 12. Meansare provided for supporting the rhousing onfaf post` 13-standing` alongthe curb'in the usual` manner. The` upper housingll houses theparking-meter. mechanism.generally indicated at 14Which includes vacoinreceiving portion 15v protruding'forwardly of'fthe, meter mechanism withsuch portion being providedl with-acon ireceiving slot 16 and a manuallyactuable..v handle.17` foroperating the meter and setting the dials,etc. The parking meter mechanism may be of the` type shown inthe MillerPatent 2,603,288, reference to whichmaybehad for-,further details. n

Hingedly mounted onthe upper housing portion 11 is a cap 18 in the formofiazhalf moon .or-.semi disk which is provided with a pair oftransparenbwindows 19 on either side of the center'portion of. the capthrough which the `dial and violation ags offthenieter may be/viewed.

Referring now to Figs..4-to-,7 inclusive, itv` will be noted that theupper housingportion- 11. is-provided with an internal recess 20-adapted.. to receive the parking meter mechanism. 14 andk the1frontfwall 21 of the housing is provided witha cut-.out portion-22`through whichthe coin receivingzportion. 15.may extend when themechanism is properly positionedwithinthe recess 20. The upper edge,23of. therecess 20 is stepped as shown in Figs. 6 and 7.a-ndthe.1ower edge.24 of the cap is -stepped in a complementary.fashionssothatwhen the capis seated upon the-housing-portion -11=a weather tight juncturetherebetween is-fassured.

The cap 18 ishingedly securedr tothe housing portion 11 and for thispurposev therefisprovidedifa hingemember 2S having anupper portiongenerally Vin the form of a yoke including two spaced legs. 26and-27:which at their upper ends are bent overa..hinge..pin.28,which extendsthrough apertures in lugs 29,#aflixedto the inside ofthe cap 18. Thehingemember 25 is .movable upwardly within the housing recess v20.sothat thecomplementary steppedvportions 23 and.24 of thefhousing edge andcap edge respectively may continuefeven; at the location of the hinge.For this purpose the-hinge member 25 is provided withfa-slot 30embracinga bushing 31 xed in a sidewall'of the housing-portionill.` `ByVirtue of this construction the hinge.. member 25= may slide upwardlywhen .thecap,ispivotedtofopen position (illustrated in Fig. 6) anddownwardly tothe position shown in Fig. 7 when the cap` is.closed.V

For locking the cap in. closed position.there.is provided a crank-armmeans 3,5'comprising apairof crank levers 36 and-37 eachhavingtasubstantially vertically upwardly extending arm 38 and av.generally,Y horizontally extending arm 39'. The -crank leversarepivotedat 40 and- 41 respectively to` the sides of therece'ss,2; The upwardlyextending arm 38 of` each crank .lever is. provided at its upper endwith a hook. portion 42 adapted to engage and hook over a rod 43 tixed'to lugs44 depending from the cap 18.. v

A key operated locking device isprovidcd'for-pivoting the crank arms 36andA 37 about their, pivotsto cause engagement between thev hooks 42 androdl 43 and'simultaneously to lock the hinge member 25 against verticalmovement. A key operated lock-.50 isprovided inthe housing including aportion 51rotatableirtthe fitting-31 andlprovided` at its outer endywith a lock member 52 having a camming'portio`n53' at one side thereofand a lip 54 at an opposite side thereof. Rotation of a key inserted inthe lock 50 serves to rotate the lock member 52 and thus to move it fromthe position shown in Fig. 6 to that shown in Fig. 7. In the latterfigure ythe lip 5g coincide with a slot 74 formed in'the bottom 72.bottom, adjacent the slot 74, is provided with two upstanding Walls 75and 76 joined by twoparallel walls 77 passes over the top of and engagesa lip 55 provided on the hinge member 25 and thus not only moves thehinge member downwardly, but effectively prevents upward movement ofsuch member. Rotation of the lock member 52 also causes the cam portion53 toengage a bar 56 rockably secured to and extending between the freeterminal ends of the arms 39 of the crank lever means 3S, such rotationmoving said ends downwardly and pivoting the crank levers in acounterclockwise direction (as seen in Fig. 6) to move them into aposition engaging the hooks 42 with the rod 43. Thus the locking of thehinge member 25 at one side of the recess and theengagement of the hooks42 and rod 43 at the opposite side of the recess serves effectively tolock theV cap in position.l When the cap is so locked in position, noparts of the locking mechanism are exposed and thus are not inV positionto be tampered with, and the overall exterior appearance of the housingand cap is smooth and neat.

A pair of tension springs 60 and 61 are providedgwithin the recessconstantly to urge the hinge member 25 downwardly and simultaneously tourge the/crank lever means 35 to assume the position of Fig. 6 in whichposition the hooks 42 are disengaged from the rod or bar 43. The upperends of the springs 60 and 61 aresecured to lugs 62 and 63 respectively,each outstruck from the leg portions 26 and 27 of the hinge member witheach spring being secured at its lower end to suitable lugs 64 and 65'fastened to the outer end of the cross bar 56.

As previously pointed out, means are providedin the housing of thepresent invention for locating and securing a parking meter mechanismwithin the recess 20 and lcap 18. These means are so arranged as topermit the mechanism merely to be placed within the recess and the 'capclosed whereupon the mechanism is moved into proper position within thehousing and rmly held therein without the use of other anchoring devicessuch as Iscrews, bolts or the like. Thus according to the presentinvention a parking meter mechanism may be removed from .the housing forreplacement, inspection or repair simply by opening the cap and graspingthe mechanism and withdrawing it vertically upwardly out of the recess.

The particular parking meter mechanism shown is provided along itsbottom with a pair of parallel rods 7 0 adapted to seat upon a pair ofpins 71 extending upwardly from the bottom wall 72 of the upper housingportion 11. The mechanism 14 is also provided with a coin chuteY73extending downwardly from its bottom and adapted' tc The and 78upstanding from the bottom (see Fig. 4) with the walls 75-78 forming agenerally rectangular slot into which the coin chute 73 is inserted whenthe mechanism is placed within the recess.

When a mechanism 14 is to be placed within the recess 20, it is slippeddownwardly thereinto until the coinchute 73 seats within the walls 75-78and the rods 70`are resting upon the pins 71. VWhen so seated themechanism is generally accurately, seated within the recess, however, itwill be noted that the lugs 44 on the cap are provided with a forwardlyfacing camming portion 80 each adaptedto engage a cross piece 81 securedto the park- 'ing meter mechanism. Thus when the cap 18 is moved to theclosed position shown in Fig. 7, thecamming portions 80 contact theportions 81 of the ymechanism-and thus move the mechanism forwardly,firmly seating the coin receiving portion 15 oil thermechanism withinthejcut-,out portion 22 and accurately positioning the entire mechanismwithin thephousing. The housing Vitself is ,locked with the mechanismsoppositioned by operating the lock 50 to rotate the locking member tothe position oFig. 7.

4 Because of the fact that the bar 56 is rockably mounted on the end ofthe arms 39, greater manufacturing errors can be tolerated in theapparatus as should one of the hooks 42 engage with the rod 43 beforethe other hook 42 makes an engagement, the rocking bar 56 may tiltslightly thus permitting one of the crank levers to pivot more than theother.

The housing portion 12 below the recess 20 and into which the slot 74opens may of course be provided with the usual coin box for receivingcoins together with a hinged door which may be opened to give access tothe coin box.

I claim:

1. A weather-tight enclosure for a parking meter mechanism comprising ahousing having a recess therein adapted to receive the mechanism andterminating in an upper stepped edge, crank lever means pivotallymounted within the recess, said crank lever means having an upwardlyextending -portion terminating in a hook portion and having asubstantially horizontally extending portion, a cap adapted'to coversaid recess and having a lower edge complementary in shape to andadapted to seat upon said stepped edge of the recess, a hinge membervertically slidably mounted in the recess and hingedly secured to thecap, tension spring means secured at one end to the hinge member and atthe other end to said crank lever means adjacent the end of said`horizontally extending portion,{ and a rotatable? lock member mountedon the housing having a cam portion positioned in the recess to contactthe horizontal portion of the crank lever means to pivot the same tocause the hook portion lockingly to engage the cap, said lock memberhaving a second portion positioned to engage the hinge member to lockthe same against movement upwardly.

2. A weather-tight enclosure for a parking meter mechanism comprising ahousing having a recess therein adapted to receive the mechanism andterminating in an upper stepped edge, a pair of crank levers pivotallymounted within the recess each having an arm portion extending upwardlyfrom said pivotal mounting and each terminating at its upper end in ahook portion, each of said crank levers having a second arm portionextending substantially horizontally fromY said pivotal mounting, ahorizontal bar extending 4between and rockably secured to the free endsof said second arm portions, a cap adapted to cover said recess andhaving a lower edge complementary in shape to and adapted to seat uponsaid stepped edge of the recess, a hinge member vertically slidablymounted in the recess and hingedly secured to the cap, a pair of tensionsprings each secured at its upper end to the hinge member and at itslower end to said bar, and

a key operated locking device mounted on the housing and including arotatable lock member having a cam portion positioned in the recess tocontact said bar and move the same downwardly to cause the hook portionof the armsplockingly to engage the cap, said lock member having asecond portion positioned to engage the hinge member to lockV the sameagainst movement upwardly.

References Cited the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 768,258Anis; Aug. 23, 1904 2,033,432 Leach Mar. 10, 1936 2,217,097 Brooks vOct. 8, 1940 2,303,147 Tinnerman Nov. 24, 1942 2,483,805 Broussard Oct.4, 1949 2,660,283 Broussard Nov. 24, 1953 l2,661,119 Spies'et al.' Dec.l, 1953 FOREIGN VPATENTS 95,264 Austria Dec. 10, 192.3

